Following the Trail
by Rikato Tojidofukuto
Summary: Konoha Academy's greatest detectives, Team 7. They are out to help the world (well, today the school and tomorrow THE WORLD!) and solve mysteries. [Each case costs one bronze coin.] Investigations are several chapters and the story includes more than one case.


**Chapter I: Case of the Missing Valentines-Day 1**

**Well, I'm trying to make a mystery group thing...Well, I probably need a Beta for it. Try to enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Can't believe I forgot this before!**

* * *

"Dear, go and hire Team 7," The teacher pressed a coin into the child's hand and ushered her toward the door. "They will help us."  
The young girl wiped off her tears and nodded, a determined glint in her eyes. "I won't fail the class. I will survive."  
"Be careful," Sensei smiled as the student left the room. On cue, whispers erupted throughout the room.  
"Do you think she'll live?" A bold boy stood up to ask.  
"Matsu's a strong one," The teacher shook her head. "She'll make it out of there alive."

* * *

Are you wondering where Matsumoto Ai was going? Well...

"I must *huff* get *huff* to Team 7!" She sped down the hallways, her long braids trailing behind. "And past-" A shrill bell rang from somewhere deep within the building and sudden rushes of high school students emerged from classrooms. The hall filled with the students and made it impossible for the tiny kindergartener to cross. "The River of Danger!" With careful and measured grace, Ai looked for openings and went for them. She ducked under someone's arm, twirled around a group of jocks, and dove under pairs of legs.

"I made it through!" She grinned, wiping the nonexistent sweat on her brow. Little Ai had reached the Team's room. _'Room 107_' was etched on the door. She grabbed the handle and opened it with confidence. Her smile dropped when twenty pairs of eyes fell on her, distracted from the Algebra instructions.

The teacher cleared her throat loudly, once again claiming the juniors' attention. "Do you need anything?"

"Y-yes," Ai gulped, trying to calm her nerves. "I would like to see..." She squinted at the slip of paper in her hand, reading the names written. "Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and Haruno Sakura." Immediately, three distinct student stood.

"Uzumaki Naruto, believe it!" The tall, blonde, and tan one saluted. Ai sweat dropped, getting the feeling that this one is not so bright.

"Uchiha Sasuke," His pale skin contradicted greatly with his dark hair and seemingly bottomless, black eyes. Chills ran down her back as he stared at Ai with a blank face.

"Haruno Sakura, at your service," The strange pink haired girl curtsied. "Let's step out into the hallway, shall we?"

* * *

"So, repeat this again?"

Sakura sighed heavily while Sasuke face palmed then went to reading his book. The trio was under the cherry blossom tree outside the Konoha Academy, their favorite spot to rendezvous, eat lunch, or just sit there to think. The female and clearly the leader of the group, Haruno Sakura, shoved a piece of paper at the idiot's face. She had recorded all that their little client had said in her neat and slanted handwriting.

_Name: Matsumoto Ai_

_Teacher/Grade: Ayuzawa-sensei's kindergartner_

_What happened: All morning long, we kids put our Valentines in the box on Ms. Ayuzawa's desk. The box was almost filled to the top before lunch. We stayed busy the rest of the day finishing our classwork and making special Valentines for our parents. Finally it was time for our party! I couldn't wait to pass out all those cute colorful cards, but when I went to the desk, I saw that the box was empty! What could have happened to all of our Valentines?_

"So we're looking for a bunch of Valentine cards?" Naruto scratched his head. "Why?"

"Because as Konoha Academy's best crime solving team, Team 7, we were hired to do so," Sasuke bit into his tomato sandwich lazily, leaning back on the tree. "Speaking of Valentine's Day..."

A nervous ravenette was pushed forward by her giggling friends, tripping over her own two feet. "Umm...S-Sasuke-kun, H-happy Valentine's Day!" She thrust forward a red heart shaped card with lace around it. Sasuke gave the card (and the girl) an expressionless gaze. At an elbow to the ribs by Sakura, he reached out to receive it. Before his hand could brush against the paper, the valentine was rapidly sliced in half.

"What the-" Naruto started, but then looked around. A boy sheepishly handed his girlfriend a bouquet of roses, but before she could touch them, the flowers were cut across. Another girl was holding out a box of chocolates, but before her crush could accept the treats, they were also chopped in half. Everything Valentine-related in the school yard was dissected, even the pink crêpe papers the girls of Konoha Academy worked hard to wind around the building and trees.

"Sakura-chan," The pinkette glanced up at the shadow towering over her. "Happy Valentine's Day." A boy about her age (15 or so) offered Sakura a dozen chocolate lollipops wrapped in pink tissue paper bouquet-style.

"Thank you," She blinked at the boy's weird, bushy eyebrows and got up to take the chocolate. Like everyone else, the flower shaped chocolate was severed before Sakura could hold them. As they fell toward the ground, Sakura's hands darted out to catch each one at an amazing speed. "Thank you!" She chirped again and sat down between her friends.

"You can leave now, Lee," Sasuke snatched one of the candies on Sakura's lap and unwrapped the plastic. He stuck it in his mouth and continued reading his book.

"T-that's for Sakura-chan!" Rock Lee pointed a furious finger at the stoic Uchiha.

"Please leave," Sakura sighed. "But, thanks." Nodding, Lee walk away and left the three alone.

"I want one!" Naruto wiggled his greedy little fingers and reached for a lollipop, but was knocked off by Sasuke. "Awww, no fair!"

Silently, Sasuke slid the candy out of his mouth. The plastic wrapper was still there. He didn't actually unwrap it. He broke the flower in two and watched as a thick, dark green liquid oozed out of it, filling up the little amount of air inside the package. Sasuke then tore the covering slightly in the corner and poured drips of it on a daisy by his side.

"No way," Sakura gasped as the flower (the real daisy one, not the chocolate) started to slowly wilt.

"Poison," Sasuke spat. "Or something similar."

"Lee may look like a weirdo," Naruto said, earning a glare from Sakura. He shrugged. "It's true, but he wouldn't do this."

"Team," Sakura smirked. "I think we've got a mystery on our hands."

The bell rang, signalling the end of lunch. Our trio cleaned up their spot and got ready for class.

* * *

"I was nearly murdered!" Sakura collapsed on a chair. It was afterschool and the three decided to meet up in their headquarters at four o' clock. Sakuram She thanked Sasuke as he handed her a water bottle. "We're hired for seven more Valentine mysteries!" She dropped seven coins into a jar sitting in the middle of the table.

"And the eight ones people asked of me," Sasuke put in eight coins.

"Six employers and a coin from me just for the heck of it!" Naruto showed his fistful of the bronze coins.

"Twenty-two Valentine mysteries to be solved," Sakura moaned, lowered her head to the table, shoulders shaking from the thought of all the work and investigation to be done.

"They most likely have the same culprit," Naruto tried to calm the girl's nerves. He grinned as Sasuke nodded in agreement. "So, let's review the information."

Twenty two pieces of paper littered the circular table, written in three different fonts.

"Cards shredded or missing, bouquets with flowers cut off, et cetera, et cetera," Sasuke said. The same cases were repeated over and over. His brow furrowed. "And a strange dark green liquid in every case. The cards with stains of the liquid, chocolate filled with it, flowers with dew drops of the color."

"This poisonous solution," Sakura muttered. "We should put it in for testing."

"Shikamaru," They said simultaneously.

* * *

**Wonder what will happen? I probably won't continue it. Read, review, and tell me if I should continue it! There's also a poll on my profile.**


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